This news article was published under
the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

British students will be taught about global trade, security, sustainability and development as part of a new programme for UK schools, International Development Secretary Justine Greening announced today.

The Global Learning Programme (GLP) will teach students how the challenges facing the world are being tackled through innovative new technologies, better governance and job creation, and will help them understand the potential of economic development to lift people out of poverty.

International outlook

A recent survey of CEOs in the UK highlighted concerns that young people’s horizons were not broad enough for a globalised and multicultural economy. They warned that Britain faces being left behind by emerging economies if our young people are not given a more international outlook. Almost all said it was important for schools to help young people develop the ability to think globally.

In England, the GLP will enhance the curriculum by introducing an international perspective and helping place what UK schools are already doing in a global context. It will widen students’ horizons by helping them make connections between their own lives and issues that are important in a rapidly changing and increasingly globalised world.

Justine Greening said:

For Britain to thrive in the global race, we need school leavers who understand how the world works, and how they can make the most of new technology, new markets, and new ways of working with people in other countries.

UK students are the entrepreneurs, business leaders and diplomats of tomorrow. The Global Learning Programme will prepare them to live and work in a global society and help them develop the knowledge and skills to compete in an international job market.

Rod Bristow, President of Pearson UK and spokesperson for the Development Education Consortium said:

In today’s globalised world it is not only exciting but also really important that our young people have opportunities to learn about the experiences of people from every corner of the world.

The Development Education Consortium is delighted to have been given the opportunity to deliver this programme, which we believe can open students’ eyes to the lives of other people around the world.

The GLP is the largest and most ambitious programme of its kind in the world, aiming to reach half of the UK’s schools by 2017. In England, where the Programme will be delivered by Pearson and the Development Education Consortium, 140 schools have already signed up to take part.